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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56127	The antipathie of the English lordly prelacie, both to regall monarchy, and civill unity: or, An historicall collection of the severall execrable treasons, conspiracies, rebellions, seditions, state-schismes, contumacies, oppressions, & anti-monarchicall practices, of our English, Brittish, French, Scottish, & Irish lordly prelates, against our kings, kingdomes, laws, liberties; and of the severall warres, and civill dissentions occasioned by them in, or against our realm, in former and latter ages Together with the judgement of our owne ancient writers, & most judicious authors, touching the pretended divine jurisdiction, the calling, lordlinesse, temporalities, wealth, secular imployments, trayterous practises, unprofitablenesse, and mischievousnesse of lordly prelates, both to King, state, Church; with an answer to the chiefe objections made for the divinity, or continuance of their lordly function. The first part. By William Prynne, late (and now againe) an utter-barester of Lincolnes Inne.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1641 (1641)	Wing P3891A; Wing P3891_vol1; Wing P4074_vol2_CANCELLED; ESTC R18576	670,992	826

them Morally as they stand in opposition to the light of Nature to right reason and the principles of humane society you will then perceive pride without any moderation● such a Pride as that is which exalts it selfe above all that is called God Malice without any provocation Malice against vertue against innocencie against piety injustice without any meanes of restitution even such injustice as doth robbe the present times of their possessions the future of their possibilities I● they be examined My Lords by Legall Rules in a Civill way as they stand in opposition to the Publiqu● Good and to the Lawes of the Land Hee will be found to be a Traytor a●gainst his Majesties Crowne an incendiary against the Peace of the State hee will be found to be the highest the boldest the mo●t i●pudent oppressour that ever was an oppressor both of King and People● This Charge my Lords is distributed and conveyed into ●o●●teene severall Articles as you have heard and those articles are onely generall I● being the intention of the House of Commons which they have commanded mee to declare to make them more certaine and particular by preparatory Examinations to be taken with the helpe of your Lordships house as in the Case of my Lord of Strafford I shall now runne thorough them with a light touch onely marking in every of them some speciall point of venome virulency and malignity 1 The first Article my Lords doth containe his ●ndeavour to introduce into this Kingdome an Arbitrary power of Government without any limitations or Rules of Law This my Lords is against the safety of the Kings Person the honour of his Crowne and most destructive to his people Those Causss which are most perfect have not onely a power to produce effects but to conserve and cheri●h them The Seminary vertue and the nutritive vertue in vegetables do produce from the same principles It was the defect of justice the restraining of oppression and violence that first brought government into the World and set up Kings the most excellent way of Government And by the maint●nance of Justice all kinds of government receive a sure foundation and establishment It is this that hath in it an ability to preserve and secure the royall power of Kings yea to adorne and encrease it 2 In the second Article yo●r Lordships may observe absolute and unlimited power defended by Preaching by Sermons and other discourses printed and published upon that subject And truely my Lords it seemes to be a prodigious crime that the truth of God and his holy Law should be perverted to defend the lawlesnesse of men That the holy and sacred function of the Ministry which was ordained for instruction of mens soules in the wayes of God should be so abused that the Ministers are become the trumpets of sedition the promoters and defenders of violence and oppression 3 In the third Article my Lords you have the Judges who under his Majesty are the dispersers and distributers of Justice frequently corrupted by feare solicitation you have the course of Justice in the execution of it● shamefully obstructed And if a wilfull Act of injustice in a Judge be so high a crime in the estimate of the Law as to deserve death under what burthen of guilt doth this man lye who hath beene the cause of great numbers of such voluntary and wilfull acts of injustice 4 In the fourth Article hee will be found in his owne person to have sold justice in Causes depending be●ore him And by his wicked couns●ll endeavouring to make his Majesty a Merchant of the same commodity onely with this difference that the King by taking money for places of judicature should sell it in grosse whereas the Archbishop sold it by retaile 5 In the fi●t Article there appeares a power usurped of making Canons of laying obligations on the Subjects in the nature of Lawes and this power abused to the making of such Canons as are in the matter of them very pernicious being directly contrary to the prerogative of the King and the liberty of the people In the manner of pressing of them may be found fraud and shuf●ling in the conclusion violence and constaint men being forced by terrour and threatning to subscribe to all which power thus wickedly gotten they laboured to establish by perjury injoyning such an Oath for the maintenance of it as can neither be taken nor kept with a good conscience 6. In the sixth Article you have the King robbed of his Supremacy you have a Papall power exercised over his Majesties Subjects in their consciences and in their persons You have Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction claimed by an Incident right which the Law declares to proceede from the Crowne And herein your Lordships may observe that those who labour in civill matters to set up ●he King above the Lawes of the Kingdome do●e yet in Ecclesiasticall matters endevour to set up themselves above the King This was ●irst procured by the Arch-bishop to be extrajudicially declared by the Judges and then to be published in a Proclamation In doing whereof he hath made the Kings Throne but a footstoole for his owne and their pride 7. You have my Lords in the seventh Article Religion undermined and s●bverted you have Popery cherished and de●ended you have this seconded with power and violence by severe punishment upon those which have opposed this mischievous intention and by the subtile and eager prosecution of these men hath the power of Ecclesiasticall Commissioners of the Starre-Chamber and Councell Table beene often made subservient to his wicked designe My Lords 8. You may observe in the eighth Article great care taken to get into his owne hand the power of nominating to Ecclesiasticall Livings and promotions you have as much mischievous as much wicked care taken in the disposing of these preferments to the hinderance and corruption of Religion And by this meanes my Lords the Kings sacred Majesty instead of Sermons fit for spirituall instructours hath often had invectives against his people incouragement to injustice or to the overthrow of the Lawes Such Chaplaines have beene brough into his service as have as much as may bee laboured to corrupt his owne Houshold and beene eminent examples of corruption to others which hath so farre prevailed as that it hath exceedingly tainted the Universities and beene generally disper●t to all the chiese Cities the greatest Townes and Auditories of the Kingdome The grievous Effects whereof is most manifest to the Commons House there being diverse h●ndred complaints there depending in the House against scandalous ministers and yet I beleeve the hundred part of them is not yet brought in 9. The ninth Article sets out the like care to have Chaplaines of his owne that might be promoters of this wicked and trayterous designe Men of corrupt judgements of corrupt practice extreamely addicted to superstition and to such mens cares hath beene committed the Licensing of Bookes to the Presse by meanes whereof many have beene published

that they did not onely promise them ayde and succour by words but also by their writings and seales confirmed the same After this Anno 1405. This Arch-Bishop conspiring with the Earle of Northumberland and others aforesaid devised like Articles as before of such matters as was supposed not onely the Commonaltie of the Realme but the Nobilitie found themselves grieved with which Articles he and his Confederates first shewed to such of their adherents as were neere about them and after sent them abroad to their friends further off assuring them that for redresse of such oppressions they would shed the last drop of bloud in their bodies if need were Whereupon great multitudes flocking to the Arch-Bishop to Yorke to take his part in this quarrell hee not meaning to stay after hee saw himselfe so well accompanied with so great number of men forthwith discovered his enterprise causing the Articles aforsaid to be set up in the publicke streets of the Citie of Yorke and upon the gates of the Monasteries that each man might understand the causes that moved him to rise in Armes against the King the reforcing whereof did not yet appertaine unto him Hereupon the Knights Esqui●es Gentlemen Yeomen and others of the the Commons as well of the Citie as of the Townes and Countries about being allured for desire to see a Reformation of the things mentioned in the Articles assembled in great number and the Arch-Bishop comming forth amongst them clad in armour encouraged● exhorted and by all meanes he could pricked them forth to take the enterprise in hand and manfully to continue in their begun purpose promising forgivenesse of sinnes to all them whose hap it was to dye in the quarrell And indeed the respect men had of the Arch-Bishop caused them to like better of the cause since the gravitie of his age integritie of his life● incomperable learning● and reverent aspect of his personage moved all men to have him in no small estimation The Earle of Westmerland and Duke of Lan●aster the Kings sonne being in those parts with the Kings Forces inquired of them in a peaceable manner What their intent should be in taking Armes The Arch-Bishop answered That hee meant nothing but the good of the Realme as hee would gladly certifie them if hee might have secure and safe conduct to them and thereupon shewed a writing containing certaine Articles which hee had devised wherein he charged King Henry with treason against his Soveraigne King Richard oppression of the Church and Common-weale whose Liberties hee had sworne to defend Tyrannie and cruelty in putting to death th● said King many of the Nobilitie and great numbers of the Commons with impietie and sacriledge in defrauding the Church of Rome of her Rights and lastly with ●vill government perfidiousnesse perjury and divers other like hainous crimes for which hee pronounced the King excommunicate requiring all men to joyne with that company whose endeavour should bee but to reforme what was amisse to seate and settle in the kingdome● the right Heire to establish peace in Wales and Ireland and to free the whole Realme from the great and intollerable burthen of exactions no longer to be endured The Earle of Westmerland having read this writing containing sundry treasons and conlumelies with a witnesse and fit for an Arch-Bishop to publish professed to allow of the Enterprise and praised it for honest and reasonable insomuch as meeting with the trayterous Arch-Bishop at a parley after a very few speeches they seemed to become friends shaking hands together and drinking to each other in the sight of both their Armies The Arch-Bishop now doubting of nothing suffered his men to disperse them for a time But the Earle contrary-wise waxing stronger and stronger and seeing him selfe able to deale with the Bishop came upon him suddenly and arrested him little thinking of any such matter The King by this time was come North and as farre as Pomfret Thither the Arch-Bishop with other prisoners arrested with him were brought and carryed with the King to Yorke or as some say to Thorpe where Sir William Fulford a Knight learned in the Law and another Justice called Gascoine sitting on an high Stage in the Hall condemned the Arch-Bishop to be beheaded without being judged by his Peeres Bishops being as some say properly no Peeres of the Realme and so not to be judged by their Peeres who certainely would have acquitted or saved his life had they beene Bishops they ever using to boulster out their fellow Bishops in their treasons and to save them from the Gibbet Presently after this judgement given the Arch-Bishop was set upon an ill favoured Jade his face toward the Horse taile and carried with great scorne and shame to a Field hard by where his head at last was chopped off by a fellow that did his office very ill not being able to dispatch him with lesse then five strokes Grafton writes that Thomas Arundel Arch-Bishop of Canterbury as great a Traytor as hee came to the King and said Sir if the Bishop of Yorke have offended you so greatly as it is said yet I pray you consider that I am your Ghostly Father and the second Peere in your Realme and that you ought not to hearken to any mans voyce before me wherefore I counsell to reserve the paine and punishment of the said Bishop to the Popes judgement and hee will take such order as yee shall be pleased And if ye will not so doe yet let him be ref●rred to the Parliament and keep your hands defiled from his bloud a sweet Counsellour Then the King answered I may not stay him for the rumour of the people whereupon the Arch-Bishop called for a Notary to make an instrument of the Kings answer that if need were it might be shewed to the Pope● but the King would not stay but caused execution to be done Though many of our Arch-Bishops and Bishops before him had beene desperate Traytors yet he is the first Bishop the more the pittie for that made them so presumptuous in their Treasons that was put to death by order of Law This just execution on such a Traytorly Rebell so unwontedly and extraordinarily performed on an Arch-Prelate in this contumelious though deserved manner without any preceding degradation was so distastefull to his fellow Prelates none of the best Subjects and so dangerous a president for the future that they accounted this Arch-Traytor no lesse then a Martyr ascribing many miracles to have beene done by vertu● of his holinesse both at his Tombe and at the place where he was beheaded pittie that more of them had not been so served that wee might have had more such Holy Saints and wonderous Miracles of this kind They reported abroad That the Bishop at the time of his Execution desired the Executioner to have five strokes in remembrance of the five wounds of Christ that the King at the same time sitting at dinner had five strok●s in his necke by a person invisible

the Earle to be sent backe to the Church Fulco Basset his next successor a man of a haughty stout spirit as he opposed the Popes exactions Rustands his Legate so he had many cont●sts with King H●nry the third and was the maine pillar of the Barons who reposed all his hope in him before such time he grew cold and remisse in standing for the publike liberties whereby hee much blemished his fame and incensed the Barons and people against him in so much that the King reviled him in these words that neither he nor any of his name were ever true unto him threatning to finde meanes to correct him for his obstinacy In the presence of some whom hee knew would tell the King of it he sticked not to use this bold and couragious speech unfitting a P●elate My Bishopricke my Myter and Crosier the King and the Pope may take from me but my helmet and sword I hope they will not yet neither of these two could secure him from Gods stroke for he died of the Plague at London Anno 1258. Henry Sandwich Bishop of London tooke part with the Barons who rebelled against King Henry the third for which cause he was excommunicated by Ottobon the Popes Legate with other Bishops being the chiefe incendiaries in these warres of whom Matthew Westminster writes thus The high Priests that I say not the Pharises gathered a counsell together against the Lord and against his annoynted saying Ye see that we have profitted nothing if we let the King escape thus The Romans will come and take away our purses with the money let us therefore ordaine 24 Elders round about his Throne who excluding the Parthians Meedes Elamites and strangers of Rome and freeing Ierusalem from Egyptian bondage may governe and order all and singular the affaires of the Realme The Knights Barons and Prelates therefore meeting together at Oxford in the 42. yeare of King Henry the third his reigne the King and Edward his eldest sonne being present ordained by common consent that twelve men nominated by the King and twelve by the Barons and Prelates should governe the Realme to which order the King and his sonne for feare of perpetuall imprisonment assented all and singular the Prelates except Ethelma● Bishop elect onely of Winchester the Kings brother tooke a corporall oath faithfully to observe this infidelity and a sentence of excommunication was denounced by all the Archbishops and Bishops of the Kingdome against the transgressors of it Moreover saith he it is not without admiration with what face these Senators that aged Bishop of Worcester and other Prelates the Fathers Iudges of mens consciences should give such free assent to take away the Kings royall power when as they had taken a corporall Oath of giving terrene honour to the said King and his Lords which they very ill observed in ordaining that they should never governe● but ever be governed by others After which the Lords and Knights perceiving the generall inconvenience of this Ordinance in setting up so many Kings in stead of one the Bishop of Worceter would by no means yeeld to alter it saying that this ordinance was ratefied by an Oath and that the Pope could not dispence with the Oath making conscience of this unjust Oath like Herod and of Schisme and error contrary to the Lawes and Cannons drawing many false Prophets to him to foment this his error After this the King commanded the Bishop of Hereford a great stickler against him in these rebellious courses an oppressour of his subjects apprehended imprisoned and his goods confiscated● Not long after the Prelates Earles and Barons who so sediciously held their King captivated meete at London where they ordained that two Earles and one Bishop on the behalfe of the Comonalty should elect nine persons whereof three should alwayes be assisting to the King and that by the advise of those three and the other nine all things in the Kings house as well as in the Kingdome should be ordered and that the King should doe nothing without their advise at least without the consent of these three Whereupon the Earles of Lecester Worcester Glocester and the Bishop of Chechister who the day before the battell of Lewes absolved all those who fought against his Soveraigne Lord the King from all their sinnes were chosen out to be the chiefe Councellers and Captaines who ele●ted other nine The King for feare of perpetuall imprisonment and that they would chuse another King consented to the ordinance OMNIBVS EPISCOPIS all the Bishops Earles and Barons consenting thereunto and sealing it with their Seales The Bishops of London Winchester Worcester and other Bishops were sent to the Popes Legate Cardinall of Sabine whom they would not suffer to come into the Realme to confirme this agreement who sharply reprehended the Bishops because they consented to so great a depression of the Kings power citing them three dayes after to appeare before him at Bo●on●e about the affaires of the Kingdome who neither appearing by themselves nor their Proctors the Legate thereupon suspended them excommunicated the Barons the Cinque ports the city of London and the Bishops to for hindring him from comming into England and for their default But the said Bishops and the rest not regarding this thunderbolt appealed from it to the Pope and the next generall Councell and to the Church as well Triumphant as Militant and trusting to the defence of the Martiall sword little esteemed the spirituall the Bishops presuming to be present at and to exercise divine offices notwithstanding this suspention and excommunication till Otho his comming into England who calling a Councell at Wi●●minster● suspended this Henry Bishop of London● Iohn Bishop of Winchester and Stephen Bishop of Chichester● both from their office and Benefice who ●ostered and incouraged the part of the Kings enemies excommunicating the Bishop of Lincolne for the same cause who at last supplicated for mercy not judgement with Walter Bishop of Worcester who lying at the point of death confessed he had erred fovend● in fomenting and fostering the part of Simon Montford and thereupon sent Letters to the Legate desiring the benefit of absolution which he obtained and so died By which relation of Matthew Westminister seconded by the continuer of Matthew Paris and other of our Chroniclers it is most apparant that this Bishop of London and the other Prelates were the chiefe fomenters of all the warres and rebellions against the King and those that stirred up and encouraged the Barons in their unnaturall bloody wars against their Soveraigne Henry the third as Stephen Langton Archbishop of Canterbury was the principall author and contriver of those against King Iohn Anno. 1329. 1330. Richard Wentworth Bishop of London was accused by Edmond Woodstocke Earle of Kent for conspiring with him to helpe set up a new King Edward the second after his death whom Thoraas Dunhead a Fryer affirmed for cetaine by

Oath first and then administred it to others saying that he was glad in his heart that this Oath was imposed upon all the Clergie of England for now the true Children of the Church would bee knowne from the spurious and bastards And further hee hath de●yed to conferre Orders upon such who refused to take the said Oath as namely upon one Mr. Gibbon● And hath enforced the sayd Oath upon divers he hath ordained Ministers since the making thereof That the sayd Bishop hath beene a great fomentor and incourager of the late divisions and wars betweene the Kingdomes of England and Scotland conventing and urging the Clergie of his Diocesse in the yeares of our Lord 1638. 1639. to contribute a liberall benevolence towards the maintenance of the sayd wars using this speech as one motive to induce them to this contribution that it was Bellum Episcopale and saying that what ever cause the King had expressed in hi● Declaration yet in truth this war was for Vs meaning Vs the Bishops And whereas some of the Clergie denyed the payment of so large a Benevolence●s ●s the sayd Bishop demanded in regard of their poverty and because they were still in their first fruites when they were free from Subsidies the sayd Bishop threatned by his power to put more Armes and horses upon them saying that if they would not serve the King with their purses they should serve him with their Armes And thereupon compelled them to pay the summes he demaunded of them against all Law as namely Mr. Roswell Mr. Ioanes Mr. Abbot and others And not contented herewith the sayd Bishop pretending that there were divers poore Vicars and Ministers in his Diocesse that were no● able to pay the Benevolence ●o as hee could not raise the summe he expected thereupon directed his Letters to divers of his wealthier Cle●gie causing some of them to pay a second contribution 13. That the sayd Bishop not content with this first Benevolence hath since that in the yeare of our Lord 1642. compelled divers of his Clergie to pay all or part of the sixe illegall subsidies or Benevolences imposed by the late pretended Synod without confirmation of Parliament threatning to excommunica●e and deprive them ipso● facto who fayled paymen● of it at the dayes prefixed by the Synod and sent out a processe to Master Newton Minister of Tau●ton even whiles the sayd Town● was much visited by the Pestilence long before the sayd Subsidy or Benevolence was due to enjoyne him to pay it punctually at the day or else he would inflict on him the penalties prescribed by this Synod and used these speeches that if they did not pay the sayd Subsidie or Benevolence they should be ground to powder And the sayd Commons by pro●esta●ion s●●ing to themselves the liberty of exhibiting at any time hereafter any other accusation or impeachment against the sayd Bishop And also of replying to the answeres that he the sayd Bishop shall make unto the sayd Articles or to any of them and of offering proofes also of the premisses or any of them or any other impeachment or accusation that shall be exhibited by them as the cause shall according to the course of Parliaments require doe pray that the sayd Bishop may be put to answere to all and every t●e premisses And that such proceedings examinations tryalls and judgements may be upon every of them had and used as is agreeable to Law and Justice By these Articles of impeachment you may easily discover what a prophane impious turbulent Prelate this Bishop is even such a one whom no age I thinke in many particulars is able to parallell whose prodigiously prophane speeches and actions proclaime to all the world that our present Prelates impieties have made them fit for judgement yea to be castout and trampled under feere of men as the very excrements and off-scouring of all things I have now runne through all our ancient Bishoprickes with that of Chester lately revived and given you a briefe account of the extravagant actions of some of those Lordly Prelates who possessed them I shall now in the close of this Chapter give you but a touch of some of the late Bishops of Oxford Bristoll Peterborough and Glocester which Bishopricks were erected out of dissolved Monasteries by King Henry the eight towards the end of his Reigne and so conclude Oxford TO passe by the first Bishops of this See none of the best there have beene three successions of Bishops in Oxford since I left the University Houson Corbet and Bancroft all of them Patriots of Innovations Erronious Popish Arminian Doctrines superstitious Ceremonies prophane Sports Revels and Bacchanals on the Lords day scandalous in their lives notoriously given to the flesh enemies to frequent preaching and the true Practise of Piety Of the two first of them I have given a touch in Durham and Norwich page 519. to which I shall referre you and for the last of them a Non-preaching Prelate who for ought I can learne never preached above one or two Sermons if so many all his life time he had a finger in the late Canons Oath lone in pressing whereof he was not negligent and had not death arrested him with the other two I doubt not but the Parliament had bin troubled with many complaints against them all which now being buryed together with them I will not revive Bristoll THE Bishopricke of Bristoll was first possessed by Paul Bush who was deprived in Queen Maries dayes for being married Iohn Holy-man a Papist succeeded him after whose death the See continued voyd some foure yeares Anno 1562. Richard Cheyny Bishop of Glocester and Iohn Bullingham his successor held Bristoll in Commendam so as it stood void o● a Bishop otherwise than as it was held by Commendam● one and thirty yeares Richard Fletcher next enjoyed it till he was translated to Worcester Anno. 1593. After which it stood vacant ten yeares to 1603. and then Iohn Thorneborough Bishop of Limbrick in Ireland and Commendatory Deane of York was translated to it This Bishop and some of his successors had great contests with the Major Aldermen and Citizens of B●istoll whom he would force to come every Lords day morning and solemne Holiday to the Cathedrall Sermon to dance attendance and doe their homage to their Lordships which they for some yeares refused till at last after sundry complaints to the King and Councel the Bishops and they according the Major and Citizens yeelded to come to the Colledge now and then on solemne days if the weather were faire and sometimes in the Sommer season Robert Wright one of the late Bishops of this See had a great contestation with the Deane and Chapter of Bristoll and Master George Salterne Steward of the City for opposing him in setting up Images in the Cathedrall and other Churches which gave great offence to the people he was a great Innovator and maintainer of Superstitious Ceremonies at Bristoll to humor

Vortigerne but to King Powes named Beuly whose successors in t●at part of Wales issued from this Herdsmans race Our learned Martyr Doctor Barnes reciting this story and Legend out of Petrus de Natalibus concludes thus I thinke no man will binde me to prove this thing of the Calfe a lye and yet it must be preached and taught in each Church it must be written in holy Saints lives and he ●ust be a Saint that did it and why because hee deposed a King and set in a Nea●esherd Odo Bishop of Bayeux was at first in great estimation with his Brother William the Conquerour and bare great rule under him till at last for envy that Lanfranke was preferred before him he conspired against him who understanding thereof committed him to Prison where he remained till the said Prince then lying on his death bed released and restored him to his former liberty When the King was dead William Rufus took him backe into England supposing no lesse than to have had a speciall friend and a trusty Counsellour of him in all his affaires But ere long after his comming thither he fell againe into the same offence of ingratitude whereof he became culpable in the Conquerours dayes For perceiving that Lanfranke Arch Bishop of Canterbury was so highly esteemed with the King that he could beare no rule and partly suspecting that Lanfrancke had beene chiefe cause of his former imprisonment he suffered Duke Robert to bereave his Brother King William Rufus of the dominion of England all he might and conspired with the rest against his Nephew and thereupon writ sundry Letters unto Duke Robert counselling him to come over with an army in all h●ste to take the rule upon him which by his practise should easily be compassed Duke Robert thus animated pawnes the County of Constance to his younger Brother Henry for a great summe of gold and therewith returned answer to the said Bishop that he should provide and looke for him upon the South coast of England at a certa●ne ●ime appointed Hereupon Odo fortified the Castle of Rochester and began to make sore warres against ●he Kings friends in Kent and procured his other complices also to doe the like in other parts of the Realme And first on the West part of England Geoffrey Bishop of Constans with his Nephew Robert de Mowbray Earle of Northumberland setting forth from Bristow tooke and sacked Bath and Be●kley with a great part of Wiltshire and brought the spoile to Bristow where they fortified the Castle for their greater safety Robert de Bygod over-rode and robbed all the Countries about Norwich and Hugh de Grandwesuit spoyled and wasted all the Coun●ries abou● Leicester And Robert Mountgomery Earle of Shrew●bury with William Bishop of Durham and others wasted the Country with fire and sword killing and taking great numbers of people where they came Afterwards comming to Worcester they assaulted the City and burnt the Suburbs But Bishop Wolstan being in the Towne encouraged the Citizens to resist who by his exhortation sallying out of the City when the enemies waxed negligent they slew and tooke above 5000. men of them in one day Archbishop Lanfranke in the mean● time whilst the Realme was thus troubled by Odoes meanes on each side writeth to and admonisheth all the Kings friends to make themselves ready to defend their Prince And when they were assembled with their forces he counselled the King to march into the ●ield speedily with them to represse his enemies The King following his counsell commanding first all unjust Imposts Taxes and Tallages to be laid downe and promising to restore such favourable Lawes as the people should d●sire to ingratiate himse●fe with h●s Subjects marcheth with a mighty army into Kent where the sedition began● takes Tunbridge and Horne-Castle and afterward b●seigeth Bishop Odo in the Pemsey● which the B●shop had strongly fortified Robert landing with a great Army in England during this siege Odo through want of victuall was glad to submit himselfe and promised to cause the Castle of Rocheste● to be delivered but at his comming thi●her they within the City suffred him to enter and straightwayes laid him fast in P●●son Some judge that this was done under a colour by his owne consent But the King besieging the City they within were glad ●o deliver i● up into his hand● Thus lost B●shop Odo all his Livings and dignities in England and so returned into Nor●andy where under Duke Robert he had the chiefe government of the Country committed to him Anno Dom. 1196. Earle Iohn King Richard the first his Brother with his forces riding forth into the Country about Beauvois made havocke in robbing and spoyling all a●ore him Anon as Phillip the Bishop of Beauvois a man more given to the Campe then to the Church had knowledge hereof thinking them to be a mee●e prize for him with Sir William de Merlow and his Sonne and a great number of other valiant men of warre came forth into the fields and encoun●ring with the enemies fought very stoutly But yet in the end the Bishop the Arch-deacon and all the chiefe Captaines were taken the residue slaine and chased After this Earle Iohn and Marchades presented the two Prelates with great triumph unto King Richard earely in the morning lying yet in his bed as those that were knowne to be his great enemies saying to him in French Rise Richard rise we have gotten the great Chantor of Beauvois and a good Quire man as we take it to answer him in the same note and here we deliver them unto you to use at your discretion The King seeing them smiled and was very glad for the taking of this Bishop for that he had ever found him his great adversary And therefore being thus taken fighting in the field with armour on his backe thought he might be bold in temporall wise to chastise him sith he not regarding his calling practised to molest him with temporall weapons Whereupon he committed him to close Prison all armed as he was It chanced soone after that two of his Chaplaines came unto the King to Roven where this Bishop was detained beseeching the King of License to attend upon their Master now in captivity unto whom as it is of some reported the King made this answer I am c●ntent to make you Iudge● in the cause betwixt me and your Master as for the evills which he hath either done or else gone about to doe unto me let the same be forgotten This is true that I being taken as I returned from my journey made into the holy Land and delivered into the Emperours hands was in respect of my Kingly state used according thereunto very friendly and honorably till your Master comming thither for what purpose he himselfe best knoweth had long conference with the Emperour After which I for my part in the next morning tasted the fruite of their over-nights talke being then loaden with as many Irons as a good Asse

he went sometime on his feete and preached the Gospell all abroad he could play the Apostle but such a poore and lewd person as he was could never have played the royall and Princely Bishop after this fashion Let no man thinke it is to be sayd or done against the heads and governours of Christs Church whatsoever is sayd or done against these sloathfull idle and sluggish beasts given all to the belly For they are not Bishops but plaine Idols and dumbe Images idle Puppets visurs blockes shadowes disguised game players which doe not so much as know what this word Episcopus that is to say Bishop doth signifie so farre off they be from knowing what is the Office or duty of a Bishop Wilt thou● that I tell thee at one word what they are Wolves they are tyrants traytors manquellers monsters of the world burdens of the earth the Apostles of Antichrist graven and made to corrupt and destroy the Gospell And to utter at once what I thinke Loe I will here play the Bedell or common Cryer Be it knowne to all men that the Bishops of Rome with their clients Bishops which doe now exercise tyranny upon so many Cities in most ample and large dominion are not Bishops by the Ordination of God but by Errour and by ●he seduction of the Devill and by the traditions of men wherefore without doubt they are the messengers and Vicars of Satan If I doe not shew and prove this by so evident testimonies that mine enemies shall be constrained to confesse this verity and that even themselves so that they doe meanely repent and waxe wise cannot deny it then let them be Bishops then let me be thought to doe injury unto them First Paul writeth unto Titus That he should constitute and ordaine Presbyters in every Towne Here I suppose that no man can deny that all one thing is signified by this word Preshyter and by this word Episcopus in Saint Pauls writings for as much as he doth bid Titus that he should in every City constitute Presbyters And because a Bishop ought to be unreproveable therefore he calleth him Presbyterum It is evident therefore what Paul doth signifie and meane by this word Episcopus Bishop that is to say A man excellently good and vertuous of ripe age which also hath a chaste wife and children obedient in the feare of the Lord. And the Apostle will that he should have the oversight and government of the Congregation in the Ministery of the Word and the Administration of the Sacraments All men whosoever they be which by all honest and lawfull meanes doe spend and bestow their goods honour blood and life to the end that these Bishoprickes so pompous and Courtly so farre unlike and contrary to all the office and duty of an Apostle namely to the ministration of the Word and that all this devillish Kingdome of the Bishop of Rome may be overthrowne and destroyed or if they cannot in very deede destroy it● doe cry against it doe dispraise and condemne it and doe avoyde it as abhomination● all those persons that so doe are the sonnes of God and true Christian men fighting and helping the Faith of the Gospell in spirituall barraile against the gates of Hell Contrariwise whosoever doe favour the Kingdome of the Popes Bishops so wicked and that so tyrannous and devillish cruelty and doe willingly and gladly submit themselves and obey unto it those persons are the ministers of the Devill fighting as enemies against the Words the Lawes and Ordinances of God This sentence of mine nay rather of Gods Judgement I prove with strong effectuall arguments in this wise The Apostle Paul commandeth Titus That he should Ordaine and constitute a Bishop in every City such one as was the husband of one wife a man vertuous and unreproveable c. This is the Word this is the will and sentence of God Against this sayd Will of God these men doe now strive which have taken quite away all true Bishops ou● of all Cities and insteed of true Bishops have constituted shops or worke-houses of most cold Ceremonies Monasteries and Churches Collegiate and have brought in themselves in their steed that by this meanes they might be made Bishops or Over-seers of many Cities and also of many Provinces Now the sentence of Paul or rather the Words of the Holy Ghost doth continue firme stable and not able to be moved or stirred of the gates of hell and doth stand as stiffe as a brasen wall which saith plainely and evidently That in every City there ought to be constituted and Ordained one Bishop and these then shal be every one of them of equal power with the other For Paul speaketh plainly of every City he giveth to every Bishop full power authority in his own City Go to therforenow ye worldly Bishops Why doe ye not here rise Why do ye not boldly manfully resist Why do ye not break forth all of you together Here you have to doe not with me but with the Apostle Paul Here you resist that I may say with the holy Martyr Stephen not me but the Holy Ghost which likewise againe of his part doth mightily resist you ●oe to then what will you say here I beseech you Will you all hold your peace and say nothing at all Loe your sentence is given and pronounced against you you have the matter judged that is to wit that unto all Christian men it belongeth of their part with the Word of God againe to destroy to plucke up by the rootes and utterly to extinct both you and your Kingdome which you doe tyrannously exercise to extinct and destroy the Gospell you have heard now that they be in the indignation of God whosoever favoureth you and on the otherside that they are in the favour of God whosoever overthroweth and destroyeth you But I will not in any wise these words which I doe speake of the destruction and utter subversion of the Kingdome of false Bishops so to be understood or taken as though it ought to be done with the hand or with sword or with violence or bodily invasion of them for with this destruction of the men we shall be nothing further in this so great a matter that is to wit Gods cause or businesse But as Daniel prophecied in the 8. chapter The Kingdome of Antichrist is to be broken all to peeces without any hand of man Saint Peters words you are a regall Priesthood and a Priestly Kingdome are meant of Spirituall Bishops who are all the Preachers of the Word of God in Cities Townes and Villages although they doe neither buy Pall nor Gowne nor yet any other Garment of those bawdes the Romanists the Corporall Bishops are you which bearing ●orked Miters on your heads under the apparell of Aaron doe in very deede play the very Tyrants and are fellowes unto Nero and Caligula riding upon fat and well fed Pal●ries and sleeke Mules and

wholly to abandon all Reliques of Idolatry and to have no fellowship nor communion with Infidels and unbeleavers in their discipline or Church government Wherefore to avoid this dangerous rocke and necessary consequence some of our Prelates as Bishop Iuell Bishop Godwin Bishop Vsher together with Doctor Sutcliffe and that learned Knight Sir Henry Spelman reject this originall of our Archbishops Bishops and Bishoprickes as false and fabulous informing us First that Roger de Wendover Matthew Paris Matthew Westmin William of Mal●esbury the Poet under the name of Gildas Giraldus Cambrensis and Radulphus Niger to whom I may adde William Caxton in his Chronicle part 4. in the life of King Lucie omit this figment of the Arch Flamines and Flamines which they say was first invented wi●hout any ground by Monu●etensis● and relate onely that Lucius erected 28 Bishops and three Arch bishops among us but record not that it was done in imitation of the Arch Flamines or Flamines or that they were substituted in their places and enjoyed their Lands and Sees as the former Historians write But this is no argument to disprove the premised Authours farre more in number since these few Historians silence of what sundry others record expressely is no conviction of their falshood seeing one may relate what another pretermits either out of brevity ignorance or negligence Wherefore in the Second place Bishop Godwin affirmes that there is nothing more absurd in this History then the imagination of ●itting the Sees of Bishops and Arch bishops according to the place and number of Flamines for sooth and arch Flamines of the Pagans A devise writes he so childish and ridiculous as I cannot but wonder that any man of learning and judgement should approve it and yet I perceive not saith he any that have gainsaid it before Master Sutcliffe but contrariwise dive●s both ancient and learned are to be found that have partly broached and partly applauded the same among whom he reckons up two especially Fenestella de Sacrif Rom. c. 5. and Gratian Distinct. 21. 80. To confute whose mistakes he produceth these two Reasons First That not so much as the name of proto Flamin or Arch Flamine is to be found in any authour or monument of credit before Gratians time Secondly that it is manifest that divers Cities had many Colledges of Priests and consequently many Flamines which he proves at large Therefore it is not possible that there should be any manner of proportion at all betweene our Bishops and their Flamines they having divers Flamines to almost every towne and we one Bishop not so much as for every whole shire To which Sir Henry Spelman addes in the third place That the Flamines were no other but ordinary Priests among the Romanes so called a filo quasi Filamines or a pilo quasi Pilamines that every one of them received his name from the God hee served as Flamen Dialis Flamen Martialis Flamen Quirinalis Vulcanalis Floralis Volturnalis Pomalis Furinalis Falacer Caesaris Flamen and the like That none of these had any Priestly Jurisdiction over any certaine Province or did solely administer in any one cure but that every cure or Parish had two Flamines at least set over it Neither were these subject to any superiour Flamin who from thence might be called an Arch Flamin or Proto-Flamin whose names are no where to bee found among the ancients unlesse it be in Fenestella which Author he proves to be spurious Sed toti Pontificum Collegio but to the whole Colledge of Pontifs and to the chiefe Priest that governed it not to an Arch-Flamin and though some Flamines were called greater others lesser yet this writes he was not from their power but from their Antiquity the three first being instituted by Numa and the Senators the others afterwards by the people Admit then these their reasons true that the Flamines were but ordinary Priests among the Pagans and not in nature of Arch-bishops or Bishops that they were all of equall authority and had no Jurisdiction one over another that there were many of them in every City and not one of them set over an whole City much lesse a Diocesse and that they were subject onely to the whole Colledge of Priests and not to any Arch Flamin or Proto-Flamin I● our Arch-bishops and Bishops bee derived from them and successors to them in our Island as the first recited Authors affirme this quite overturnes their Archiepiscopall and Episcopall pretended Jurisdiction over other Ministers and their sole Episcopacy and Jurisdiction in or over one City and Province since the Flamines were all equall and many in each Parish and City and directly proves that there ought to be a parity betweene Arch-bishops Bishops and our Ministers now and no disparity because there was none among the Flamines that no Ministers ought to be subject to our Arch-bishops and Bishops but onely to the whole Synod or Convocation of Presbyters because the Flamines were so and that there ought to be not one sole but many Bishops of equall Authority in every City because it was so among the Flamines their Predecessor● yea in the first Christian Churches planted by the Apostles as appeares by Act. 14.23 c. 20.17.28 Phil. 1.1 Tit. 1.5.7 1 Tim. 5.17 Jam. 5.14 with other Texts If they be not these Arch Flamines and Flamines Successors as these last Authors testifie then I feare our Prelates can hardly derive their pedegree as high as King Lucius nor yet certainely define at what time or by whom Arch-bishops and Bishops were first erected in our Island For Bishop Godwin who rejects the conceipt of King Lucius his erecting of Arch-bishops and Bishops in steede of Arch Flamines and Flamines gives these three very probable Reasons against his erecting of three Arch-bishoprickes and 28. Bishoprickes in this Isle or any Bishoprickes at all First because he saith and proves by Histories that Lucius was never King of all Britaine but rather some petty King or King happily of some principall part thereof therefore hee could not erect Archbishoprickes and Bishoprickes throughout the Island as the recited Authors Fable Secondly because the multitude of Bishops and Bishoprickes sayd to be ordained at that time seemeth unlikely and that they had any fixed Sees For in the Councell of Arles in the yeare 325. mention is made of one Restitutus a British Bishop not intituled to any certaine See but onely called Bri●anniarum Episcopus and even so likewise after him Fastidius is mentioned by Gennadius by the same stile which being considered saith he together with the rare and seldome mention that we finde of Brittish Bishops whose Antiquities I have hun●ed a●ter with all diligence I cannot but rest perswaded that our Brittaines had very few Bishops untill the comming over of Germanus and Lupus to suppresse the Pelagian Heresie which after they had rooted out the History of Landaff saith

of Woborne in Bedfordshire Adam Sudbury Abbot of Germany with Astbeed a Monke of that House the Abbot of Sawly in Lan●ash●re and the Prior of the same William W●ld Prior of Birlingto● the Parson of Padington 5. priests of Lincolnshire Doctor Markerell who stiled himselfe Captaine Cobler and Iohn Allen Priests the chiefe fire-brands in this Rebellion were hanged for Rebellion as they well deserved though they named their enterprise an holy blessed Pilgrimage and had certaine Banners in the field wherein was planted Christ hanging on the Crosse on the one side and a Chalice with a painted Cake in it on the other side For other Arch-Bishops since I finde not much concerning them onely I reade that Robert Holgate his next Successour was committed prisoner to the Tower in the first yeare of Queene Mary where he lay an yeare and halfe and that Edwin Sands another of his Successours was long impri●oned by Queene Mary he being Vice-chancellour of Cambridge when the Lady Iane was proclaimed Queene● preached a Sermon upon that oc●●sion which was like to cost him his life Samuel Harsnet the last Archbish. but one being made a Privie Councellour by our present Sover●igne King Charles was such a furious Hildebrand that like Davus in the Comedie he perturbed all things where ever he came insomuch that the Lords and Court growing wearie of him and his domineering outrage caused him to be sent from Court to his Arch-Bishopricke and there to keepe residence till he should be sent for Where having no other imployment hee falls by the eares with Doctor Howson Bishop of Durham whom he excommunicated for refusing to admit him to visit in his Diocesse as his Metropolitane he being a Count Palatine in his Bishopricke and withall falling to persecute the godly Ministers of his Diocesse he was smitten mortally with a dangerous disease whereof he died the very night before he resolved to suspend and silence some good men summoned to appeare before him the next morning This furious Arch-Prelate was such an enemie to the Lawes and Liberties of the subject that in the case of Mr. Walter Long censured in Star-chamber about 4. Caroli for comming up to the Parliament House whereof he was a member whil●s he was Sheriffe of Wiltshire contrary to his Oath as was pretended when as his Counsell produced divers ancient Records and Presidents touching the Priviledges of Parliaments and the members of it to exempt him from the Jurisdiction and sentence of that Court this Arch-Bishop checked his counsell for troubling them with Moth-Eaten Records saying That they sate there not to be guided by Presidents but to make Presidents and so proceeded to censure in the cause In a word I may conclud of him● as Saint Bernard long before did of one of his predecessors Nonne Eboracensis ipse est cui te praes●nte fratres tui restiterunt in faciem eo quod reprehensibilis erat sed speravit in multitudine divitiarum suarum praevalu●t in vanitate sua Cert●m est tamen quod non intravit per ostium in ouile ovium sed ascendit aliunde Si Paston fui●set diligendus erat si mercenarius tolerandus Nunc autem cavendus et repellendus utpote fur latro Richard Neale the last Arch-bishop of York before his comming to that See about the 13 yeare of King Iames not long after hee was created a Bishop was highly questioned in Parliment for seditious speeches against the Commons House for which he had suffered condigne punishment had he not beene an active instrument to dissolve that Parliament to avoid the censure of it Since that he had a hand in dissolving other Parliaments to the prejudice of the King and Kingdome In the Remonstrance of the Commons House of Parliament presented to King Charles our Soveraigne in the 3. yeare of his Raigne hee was by name complained against as one of the chiefe heads of the popish and Arminian Factions which disquietted both our Church and State and as a persecuter of good Ministers and suppressour of Lectures How many godly Ministers he prosecuted silenced suspended deprived both in the High Commission and all the Diocesse under his Jurisdiction whiles hee continued in favour at the Court is so well knowne to all that I need not relate it And his disfavour at Court as most conjecture was the cause of his unexpected Clemencie to the Ministers of the province of York some few years before his death He was the first advancer of William Laud Arch-bishop of Canterbury of Doctor Cousins with sundry other Incendiaries and Innovators both in Church and State who were entertained by him for his Chaplaines● and then promoted by his meanes● to the ruine almost of our Religion and Kingdome He was a great enemy to Parliaments Prohibitions the Liberties of the Subject and Lawes of the Land Hee seldome or never preached himselfe and therefore could not endure frequent preaching in others Hee was a great furtherer of the Booke for sports on the Lords day and an enemy to puritie Puritans and the sincere practise of pietie Hee had a hand in ratifying the late Canons and Oath in affront of his Majesties Prerogative the Parliament Lawes and Liberties of the Subject And no doubt he had a finger in the late Scottish Warres and Combustions whereupon hee burnt all his Letters concerning Church and State-affaires as soone as he heard the Scots had entred into England for feare they should have beene surprized and his fellow-Prelates machinations against the Scots by their surprisall discovered He had a chiefe hand and influence in the unjust and bloudy sentences against Dr. Layton and Mr. Pryn in the Star-chamber against Mr. Smart● Dr. Bastwicke Mr. Huntly and sundry others in the High Comission in the vexatious and most exorbitant proceedings against Calvin Bruen Peter Lee Mr. Inch and sundry others of Chester for visiting M. Pryn in his passage through that Citie towards Castle● and by 2. Orders under the high Commission Seale of Yorke signed with his owne and other Commissioners hands bearing date the 10. Novem. and 4. Decem. 1637. commanded 5. Pictures of the Portraiture of M. Pryn to be defaced and then burnt at the high Crosse in Chester before the Maior Alderman and Citizens● out of an hatred to Mr. Prynnes person which no doubt hee would have burned to as well as his picture had it bin in his power This Arch-Prelate by the aide of his quondam Chaplain Canterbury incroached much on the liberties of the Lord Maior and Citizens of Yorke with whom he had many contests and procured a Mandate to the Lord Maior not to carry his sword before him within the Close and Cathedrall at Yorke though his Predecessours had ever used to do it from K. Richard the 2. his daies who gave them this priviledge by a Charter and yet the Deane and Prebends of Yorke in the meane have intruded themselves contrary to divers Charters into the civill Government

of the Citie of Yorke which no wayes appertaine unto them The Maior of Yorke is the Kings Lieutenant there and his Sword of Justice the Kings not his owne Therefore the Arch-Bishops putting downe of his Sword within the Precincts of the Close is a direct incroachment upon his Majesties Prerogative Royall and a denying of his Supremacie and Jurisdiction over him or his Cathedrall at Yorke This Prelate being scarce Parliament proofe to prevent all questioning at the approach of this present Parliamentary Assembly fell sicke and dyed being now gone to answer all his Episcopall extravagancies before a greater Tribunall For my part I meddle not with him as he was a man● but onely as he was a Prelate not to defame his person or posteritie but to discover the evill effects of his Prelacie His See continueth yet void since his death● And for ever may it so remaine unlesse his Successours prove more loyall to their Soveraignes more profitable to our Church and State then hee and his fore-mentioned Predecessours have beene CHAP. III. Comprising the severall Treasons Conspiracies Rebellions Contumacies Disloyalties Warres Dissentions and State-Schismes of the Bishops of London Winchester Durham Salisbury and Lincolne HAving thus presented you with the History of the Treasons Conspiracies c. of the Arch-Bishops of Canterbury and Yorke I shall now proceed to those of our inferiour Prelates of London Winchester Durham Salisbury and Lincolne who as the old Cockes of Canterbury and Yorke did crow in this behalfe so the young Cockrels of these and other Sees did imitate their demeanour as William Harrison well observeth which may appeare by these ensuing Examples and Histories of their lives Bishops of London Vodinus Arch-Bishop of London reprehended Vor●igern the Brit●ish king for marrying with Rowen Hengists Daughter being an Infidell telling him That he had endangered both his Soule and Crowne which words were so ill digested by Vortigern that shortly after it cost the Arch-Bishop his life who was slaine by Hengist his procurement the first Saxon king This king Vortigern An. 450. was excommunicated by St. Germaine Bishop of Auxerre and an whole Synode of Brittish Bishops for marrying his owne daughter and afterwards was deposed by Saint Germaine from his Crowne upon this occasion Vortigerus denied Saint Germain lodging in a cold frosty night and an Heard that kept the kings beasts seeing that Gods servants were grieved lodged Saint Germain and slew a Calfe for his Supper But after supper Saint Germaine causing them to gather all the bones of the Calfe together after they had eaten the flesh raised the Calfe againe from death to life so that standing by his Dam alive he began to eate Hay before them The next day by commandement of God Germain put downe Vortigern from his kingdome● and took the fore-said Heard and made him king Then all men were astonied for wonder And from that time forth the kings of Brittaines came of the Heards kinde But Gyldas in his story saith That this befell by the king of Powsie called Buly and not of Vortigerus and saith that Bulies Successours came of this Heards kinde that were kings in that side of Wales Thus was Vortigerus an ill king I confesse vexed by these proud and insolent Prelates and at last deposed After the death of Bishop Gilbert 1133. one Anselme Abbot of Bury Nephew to Saint Anselme was elected Bishop of LONDON and had his his election confirmed at Rome but presently such exceptions were taken against him as thereupon hee was not onely stayd from cons●cration but deprived also of his Abbotship His Electors were William Deane of Pauls Ralph Langford and Richard ●eauveys the same I beleeve that afterwards was Bishop The King who very much misliked this Election having made request for some other amongst other effects of his displeasure caused the wives of these Canons as Bale reporteth to be imprisoned and otherwise shamefully intreated By reason of the stirres that were about this Election the See continued voyd a long time Anno 1140. Mawde the Empresse having taken King Stephen Prisoner came to London and finding the Bishoppricke voyd caused one Robert de Sigillo a Monke of Reading or as others say Archdeacon of London to be elected and consecrated Bishop Within a yeare or two after this Bishop was taken prisoner at ●ulham by Geofry de Mandevill a Captaine of King S●ephens who ye may be sure could ill brooke any man that the Empresse favoured This Bishop of London would not so much as sweare to be true subject to King Stephen wherein he was maintained by the Pope as appeareth by these Letters Eugenius Episcopus servus Servorum Dei dilecto in Christo filio Stephano illustri Regi Anglorum salut●m Apostolicam benedictionem Ad haec superna providentia in Ecclesia Ponfices ordinavit ut Christianus populus ab eis pascua vitae reciperet tam principes seculares quam inferioris conditionis homines ipsis Pontificibus tanquā Christi vicariis reverentiam exhiberent Venerabilis siquidem frater noster Robertus London Episcopus tanquam vir sapiens honestus religionis amator a nobili●ate tua benigne tractandus est pr● collata a Deo prudentia propensius honorandus Quia ergo sicut in veritate comperimus cum animae suae salute ac suae ordinis periculo fideli●ate qu● ab eo requeritur astringi non potest volumus ex pater●o ●ibi affect● consulimus q●a●enus praedictum fratrem no●trum super hoc nullatenus inquietatis imm● pro bea●i Petri nostra reverentia eum in amorem gratiam tuam recipias Cum autem illud jur●mentum praestare non possit sufficiat discretioni tuae ut simplici veraci verbo promittat quod lae●ionem tibi vel terrae tuae non inferat Vale● Dat. Meldis 6. Cal Iulii Thus we see that Kings were to rule no further than it pleased the Pope to like of neither to chalenge more obedience of their subjects● than stood also with their good will and pleasure He wrote in like sort unto Queene Maud about the same matter making her Sampsons Calfe the better to bring his purpose to passe as appeareth by the same Letter here insuing Solomone attestante didicimus qd mulier sapiens aedificat domum insipiens autem constructam destruet manibus Gaudemus prote devotionis studium in Domino collaudamus quoniam sicutreligiosorum relatione acceptmus timorem Dei praeoculis habens operibus pietatis intendis personas ecclesiasticas diligis honoras ut ergo de bono in melius inspirante Domino proficere valeas nobilitatem tuam in Domino rogamus rogando monemus exhortamur in Domino quatenus initi●s exitus meliores injungas venerabilem fratrem nostrum Robertum London Episcop●m pro illius reverentia qui cum olim Dives esset pro nobis pauper fieri volu●t attentius diligas honores apud virum